Power-transmission device



las.` 16,1926.Y

i ll

G. E. RUCKSTELL POWER TRANSMISSION DEVICE Filed Sept. 9, 1924` Invenor. Glovelz Rucklell.

. a motor vehicle.

Patented Feb. 16, 1926.

.I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'GLOVER E. RUCKSTELL, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

POWER-TRANSMISSION DEVICE.

Application filed September 9, 1924. Serial No. 736,752.

To all whom 'it may concern:

' Be it known that I, Gnovnn E. RUCitsTELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berkeley, county of Alameda, and State of California, have invented new and useful Inmrovements in Power-Transmission Devices, of which the following is a specificittion.

This invention relates to power transmission devices and particularly to a power take-off mechanism adapted to be conveniently operated directly from the engine of Many devices for performing this` function have heretofore been devised but all of'such mechanisms, as far i as I am aware, have been complicated, 'expensive, inconvenient and ineflicient. It is the object of this invention to provide an improved mechanism of this type Awhich is simple in constructionV and convenient and I eflicientin operation. Y

llitli the above and other objects in view, 'my Ainvention consists in the features of construction and operation set forth in the following specification and illustrated in the, accompanying drawing. In such drawing Vannexed hereto and forming a part of this specification I have shown certain specific Y embodiments of my invention, but it will be understood that the invention can be otherwise embodied and that the drawing is not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims appended to this specification being relied up- ,on for that purpose.

Referring to the figures of the drawing: Fig. l is a side elevation of my improved device through the rear axle of a motor vehicle, the driving shaft housing being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of a modiication thereof. y

Referring more specically to the drawing by reference characters, l indicates the differential housing of the rear axle of a motor vehicle and 2 one of the axle shafts. The axle shafts are driven from a worm gear 3 through the usual differential mechanism (not illustrated). The worm gear 3 is driven by a worin 4 mounted on the usual motor-operated driving shaft i motorof the vehicle for The robject of the invention is to use the power transmitting purposes other than that of running the vehicle. For this purpose, as illustrated in Figl l of the drawing, I extend the driving shaft 5 rearwardly at 6 and mount a pulley 7 thereon. A nut 8 holds the pulley on the shaft and provides means for readily removing the pulley when not in use. The free end of the shaft is supported in a bearing 9 of the housing l.

lt will be understood that when the shaft 5 is being used for transmitting power through the pulley 7 the axle shafts 2 should be disengaged therefrom. Various means for providing such a neutral relation of these parts can be provided. The following described mechanism has been illustrated in the drawing for perform ing this function.

or non-driving The worm l is mounted loosely on the shaft 5 andthe forward end thereof is supported in a side bearing l() and a thrust bearing ll in the housing l. It will be noted that the bearing 1l is such as to take the axial thrust of the worm in bot-li directions. A clutch l2 is splined to the shaft 5 between the bearing`9 and the worm. The adjacent ends of the clutch and worm are provided with cooperating clutch teeth. The clutch can be shifted to its engaged and disengaged positions by means of a hand lever 13 pivoted at 14. A spring-pressed detent l5 serves to hold the clutch in either of these positions.

' The operation of the device is believed to be obvious. l'fVhcn operating the vehicle in the usual manner, the. cluth l2 will be engaged with the worm, whereupon the worin and worin wheel will be driven from the shaft 5. The pulley 7 vill preferably, though not necessarily. be removed. lfhen desiring to use the engine for other power transmitting purposes. the pulley will he mounted on thc extended portion (j of the drive shaft and the clutch will be thrown to the disengaged position. ln this position of the clutch the worin and worin wheel will not be driven and the pulley 7 can be used to transmit power to any mechanism desired.

It should be particularly noted that in my power transmitting mechanism the power is taken directly from the main driving shaft of the vehicle. Such construction not only simplifies the running operation and provides a direct drive from the engine but also eliminates any wear of the parts not operated. The only operating mechanism between the shaft 5 and the engine of the vehicle is the change speed mechanism, and

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such*Inebha'iiisiii 'eau bewi'used fin 'feb'nifieetion WithfA the power'take-off drifvelto Avary the speed Ofvsuch drive in the same manner-as in connection with the running` ofthe vehicle.

of my invention. In this` construction the pulley 7 is providedvit'h-an eiitendedhub 16l adapted to `engage over a projecting end 17 v"fthedriving fshaft 5. "Af boltV 18 provided for holding: the pulley ontheshaft.

'l the-poner rltiaiiiri itting 'means f as bei-ng a 7, ftf'ivillbe Vunderstoodi that an'yponei" transmitting element danv he 'Conshaftirlandl that all the various parts ol- Vthe- -ineehani'sm can 'beinodltied as 'desired 'With- Y in the scope ol' the appended elaimsw'v'ithout Y Having thus 'described -iny inve'ntion, what l- -"elaini and desire tolsecure byv Letters 'Patv4entis:

the' 'Combination' fof Aay Worm! gear operativelyconne'otedto the rear axle shafts of a r motor' v"operated v"Vehicle, "housing therefor,

ln Fig. 2 I have shown aeniodif'ied 'forniv Vwithin the housing',

ia fdi'ii ng shaft driven 'ffromfvthevehicle "Lino-toreaildfV eiirtendingv rearwardly* of? the ve- ----helevrand through the housing, a Worin Aloose-onwthe shaft-V-in-the housing and in ineshWit-h Vthevvorm gear, power take-oil Y:means onli-thedriving shaft rearwardly of the Worin outside the housing, clutch means `Within the housingfproviding a disengageable Connection between the Worin and the driving sha-ft, and means extending out- 2 power transmittingdevice 'Comp-risl the combination of! a 'Worin gear operaltiiel'y- Connected toVV the rear a'nleshafts ofi a in'fotor y'operated' vehicle, a `lious ng'itherelior, a driving shaitt driven from the inotorve- *h ide-.andi extending rearwardly v"of the vehii cle' and through and 'rearwardly of the hous- "ing,-' bearings at each iside 'olifrthel l'iousing` 1 I"rotatably supgiio-rting the isha ttl; afworm loose "on the ishaft'in 'thelhousing'fandin meshwvith "the fworni'gearyan' axiallyt'shiftab'le seluteh isplined to the' shaft at .one endy ofV the'lwori i fthe Worm SandI c'luteli :being between theshaft*supportingrbearings and thefadjaeent'en'dsivofl the worm 'and `clutchfbeing toothed, f and@ means 4extend-ing 'outwardly of ther h'oueing for-"- shifting the clutch. A l Y lGiiovninn.inuonsrELL.

*Wardly of fthe housing "for `lshifting xtlie olut'ehmeans. 

